Not your usual political thriller.
Feature image credit: Pan Macmillan Australia
Hillary Rodham Clinton is probably better known for her former positions as US first lady, a senator, and then Secretary of State, rather than an author. Her previous writing had all been non-fiction and she admits in the Author Note to being hesitant when this project was proposed. However, Louise Penny was both an author she admired and a long-time friend which made the collaboration easier. Penny is a multiple award-winning Canadian author whose Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels have been translated into 31 languages, and readers can look forward to a surprise at the end of this novel.
The action is set at the beginning of a new administration in America and the lead character, Ellen Adams, has accepted the call from a newly elected president to be Secretary of State. The previous president is clearly based on Donald Trump as we see the new president having to deal with the insularity and nationalism, which Trump favoured, reflected in the novel. Being from the opposite party to the new president, Adams realises her appointment is really a way for the new administration to distance themselves and avoid blame when/if something goes wrong — which it does very quickly.
The novel tears along at a breakneck pace, building tension and suspense through the quintessential race against the clock to stop the terrorists in time. Penny’s contributions of tight and effective plotting also add to the tension created. Of course, the events and people are all fictional, but Clinton takes the opportunity to reveal some of the less appealing characteristics of the fictional world leaders, based on those with which she interacted in her real life as Secretary of State. For example, the British Prime Minister in the novel is described as “an upper-class twit, with any guts he might have had replaced by entitlement and random Latin phrases” which seems a perfect description of Boris Johnson, the real British Prime Minister.
Such descriptions make the plot more believable and bring the characters to life. A notable feature of the book is the friendship and support between Adams and her advisor and long-time best friend Betsy Jameson. The character is based on and named for Clinton’s real life best friend who died of cancer before the book was completed. As a woman of a certain age, it is refreshing to see Clinton and Penny celebrating women’s support and friendship for one another later in life.
Reviewed by Jan Kershaw
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Pan Macmillan Australia
Released: October 2021
RRP: $22.99
